Today’s Big Story

U.S. Census Has Been Revamped

For the first time in 27 years, it’s changing how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity

Score one for America’s melting pot. On the next U.S. census and future federal government forms, the list of checkboxes for a person's race and ethnicity is officially getting longer. On Thursday, it was announced that the White House has approved proposals for a new response option for “Middle Eastern or North African” and a “Hispanic or Latino” box that appears under a reformatted question that asks: “What is your race and/or ethnicity?”

This is the first time in nearly three decades that the government has changed how it asks these questions, and supporters say it could lead to more accurate data collection. According to NPR, officials at the White House's Office of Management and Budget revived these Obama-era proposals after they were shelved by the Trump administration. Supporters of these changes say they could help the racial and ethnic data used to redraw maps of voting districts, enforce civil rights protections and guide policymaking and research that better reflect people’s identities today.

The changes also strike from federal forms the words “Negro” and “Far East”—now widely regarded as pejorative—as well as the terms “majority” and “minority,” because they fail to reflect the nation’s complex racial and ethnic diversity, some officials say. The revisions also encourage the collection of detailed race and ethnicity data beyond the minimum standards, such as “Haitian” or “Jamaican” for someone who checks “Black.”

The Associated Press reports that research has shown that large numbers of Hispanic people aren’t sure how to answer the race question when it’s asked separately because they understand race and ethnicity to be similar and they often pick “some other race” or do not answer the question altogether. They also found that grouping together people of different backgrounds into a single race and ethnicity category—such as Japanese and Filipino in the Asian classification—often masks disparities in income or health, and advocates argued that having the detailed data will allow the information about the subgroups to be separated out in a process called disaggregation. And because I know you’re wondering … the next U.S. census will be conducted in 2030.

Finland Is the Happiest Country in the World

For the seventh year in a row, the nation ranked as the happiness champion

For seven consecutive years, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world, followed closely by its Nordic neighbors Denmark and Iceland. What makes the Finns such happy people? And is there something we can all learn from them?

The report draws on global survey data from people in more than 140 countries. The United States ranked 23rd on the list—having fallen out of the top 20 for the first time since the World Happiness Report was first published in 2012. The fall, apparently, was driven by a large drop in the well-being of Americans under 30.

But, how accurate are the findings? The Conversation digs into the data and found that the ranking is based on one simple question, using a “ladder metaphor,” that is asked to people across nearly every country in the world. But the writer’s team performed a new experimental study that suggests the ladder metaphor makes people think about power and wealth. “This does not mean that Finns are unhappy, but the type of happiness they excel at may be power and wealth-focused.”

More and More People Are Getting Colorectal Cancer

It’s now the leading cause of cancer deaths in men, second-leading for women under 50

More people are developing colorectal cancer at a younger age, leaving some patients fighting more aggressive cancers before they reach the recommended age of 45 to start screening. Doctors say they’re seeing an increase in those below 55 years old, and this has been happening since the mid-1990s, according to the American Cancer Society. A report published by the American Cancer Society in January suggests that rates of colorectal cancer are rising rapidly among people as young as mid-20s and early 30s—even as incidence is declining in people over the age of 65.

Colorectal cancer is now the number one cause of cancer death in men and the second leading cause in women among adults under 50 years old. That’s serious, especially for a cancer that doesn’t get talked about much. But March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month and doctors are utlizing it to try and better understand why cases in young people are on the rise.

Perhaps even more concerning, colorectal cancers in younger people also tend to be more aggressive, and they are often found at a more advanced stage. Some research has linked lifestyle and dietary changes to increased rates of colorectal cancer in both young people and older adults. The New York Times reports that recent generations have consumed more red meat, ultraprocessed foods and sugary beverages, and have been known to binge drink more frequently; between 1992 and 1998, cigarette smoking also increased before declining again, while physical activity has continuously declined for decades. All of these factors—along with the rise in obesity rates since the 1980s—are associated with cancer risk. But once again, none of them fully account for the increase in early-onset colorectal cancer.

Lambo’s New Logo

After two decades, the Italian carmaker has a new logo, but how different is it to the old one?

I’m sure I’ve discussed this before, but there’s something about minimally-redesigned logos that just … irritates me. A brand makes a big announcement and you have to squint if you want to catch the subtle differences. Why bother?! But I digress. Did you hear that Lamborghini has decided that after more than two decades, the time is right to give its logo an update to reflect the needs of the modern world?

But the new logo is merely a refinement of the bull badge that the luxury Italian automaker first introduced in the 1960s. Jalopnik says they “took a page out of the same design book several automakers have already used to refresh their brands with new badges.” Lambo opted for a simplified, flattened version of its old logo, similar to the design refreshes from brands like Skoda, Nissan and Lamborghini’s own parent company, Volkswagen.

According to the company, the new identity—which will be applied to all of its cars from now on—better reflects its “brave, unexpected and authentic values,” and forms part of its push towards “sustainability and decarbonisation.” Yeah, I don’t get it either.

A Weekend Pairing

‘Palm Royale’ + a Mai Tai Cocktail

Have you checked out Palm Royale, Apple TV+’s new show yet? The candy-colored period comedy debuted last week and centers around a scheming underdog trying to get into Palm Beach’s toniest social circle. The series, which boasts a stellar cast including everyone from Kristen Wiig and Ricky Martin to Alison Janney and Laura Dern, is the story of a cringeworthy Gatsby figure who refuses to cringe. What makes it funny, as one reviewer said, is that “it’s hard to imagine someone with that particular combination of social guile, rabid ambition and total cluelessness.”

Another reviewer said it reminded them of watching Mad Men, “with a soupçon of Big Little Lies and Mean Girls.” Of course, some said the show has more style than substance. The Hollywood Reporter said “While there’s plenty going on in Palm Royale, including back-stabbings, torrid affairs and attempted murders, there’s precious little true substance lurking beneath its candy shell.” But maybe that's enough?

Don’t let it simmer.